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Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Giving Thanks in Blue ~ Mongolian Style

Watson attempts to claim my surprise gift as his own

Today I received an incredible gift in the mail.

A gold envelope (you know the type) big enough to house a small dog was folded into my mailbox -- the top of it sticking straight out. I love that moment between looking and touching --- knowing that a mysterious package awaits. How awe inspiring that six days a week the mailman visits my door delivering missives from faraway. Okay, sometimes it's electric bills and advertisements, but not today.

Today a beautiful blue scarf, still in its original package arrived. And with it a brief letter which I'll copy (in part) below:

The blue scarf was purchased in Mongolia some ten years ago (I have two others --- one to wear and one in my studio) and is similar to white ones from Nepal and Tibet. When you refer to blue in your poetry, this is the color blue that I see. Enjoy!
This gift from a woman I greatly admire but do not know well. She is a painter. Several years ago when I first moved to Seattle she was very kind to me. Although she lives far up north on an island, she comes to town for each of my book launches.

And now this is the color blue I see in my Cloud Pharmacy as well -- although the color in my mind might be slightly lighter, or darker. This scarf comes as close as any real color can.

Along with the scarf were very kind words about what this recent book of poems meant to her. Most of all I was touched that she took the time to write me, to collect the scarf, padded envelope and stamps. How often do I think about writing someone whose work moves me, how often I fail to finish the task.

This scarf will go out with me in the morning to my writing studio. A reminder of Diane's generosity and spirit. Send someone a surprise that let's them know their work matters. I know I am planning to.

Susan Rich is the author
of four collections of poetry, most recently, Cloud Pharmacy and The Alchemist’s Kitchen, which was a Finalist for the Foreword
Prize and the Washington State Book Award. Her other books include Cures Include Travel (2006)
and The Cartographer’s Tongue /
Poems of the World (2000) which won the PEN USA Award for Poetry and
the Peace Corps Writers Book Award. She is the recipient of awards from
Artist’s Trust, 4Culture, The Times Literary Supplement of London, Seattle
Mayors Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, and the Fulbright Foundation. Susan's poems have been published in many journals including: Antioch Review, Gettysburg Review, Harvard Review, and The Southern Review.

Currently, she is Professor of Creative Writing and Film Studies at Highline College, outside of Seattle, WA.. Susan also works as the poetry editor for The Human journal based in
Istanbul, Turkey and along with Kelli Russell Agodon is founder of Poets on the Coast: A Writing Retreat for
Women. She is one of the editors of the anthology, The Strangest of Theatres: Poets Writing Across Borders published
by McSweeney’s and the Poetry Foundation (2013). Susan lives in Seattle,
WA and writes in the House of Sky, a few blocks from the Puget Sound.